Marshals Museum board approves building design, hears fundraising report

The board of the U.S. Marshals Museum achieved Tuesday (June 9) a major step in the process to build the national museum by approving the building design of what is being hailed an iconic structure.

The board is also now underway with what will be a $30 million to $50 million national fundraising effort.

“Our exhibit design and building designs are now in place. … Now we have a product for that (fundraising) effort,” Museum Project Director Sandi Sanders told the board.

A price tag to for the entire project, including the building, exhibits, landscaping, furniture and fixtures and other essentials, could be as high as $50 million. Previous estimates had the cost ranging between $30 million and $40 million.

Peter Kuttner with Cambridge 7 Associates, one of the two architectural firms hired to design the museum, provided an overview similar to the preliminary design proposal he made to the board April 23. Kuttner said the primary community feedback from the public meetings of late April were that residents stressed the “need for an iconic symbol” but within a structure functional for a wide range of community uses.

The basic design was formed around the “star” of the Marshals badge. The building features several roof structures that mimic the look of a star segment, and each roof “protects a different function” of the museum.

The roughly 50,000-square-foot building includes a large lobby space that would allow for up to 200 to be seated at formal dinners associated with fundraisers. The building is to be categorized into three separate exhibit spaces: “Frontier Marshals” featuring the beginning and early history; “Marshals Today,” which highlights aspects of the modern U.S. Marshals Service; and “America Divided,” which seeks to highlight the role of Marshals during difficult times in U.S. history.

Board members, however, oppose the “America Divided” moniker, and formed a committee to report back with a new title for the exhibit space.

Other aspects of the building include: retail space; a small cafe near the main lobby terrace that stretches to the Arkansas River; Hall of Honor and reflecting pool recognizing Marshals who died in service or who made contributions to the service; theater and classroom space; and a main lobby space that includes the 8-story spire.

Kuttner said the museum also includes four outside open spaces that may support exhibits and events.

Prior to a vote on the design, several questions were asked, including questions of energy efficiency and the ability of the large glass areas to withstand the severe weather that frequents western Arkansas.

Joe Stanley, with Little Rock-based Polk Stanley Architects, said the “primary focus” of the next phase of design work is to develop a “real example of an energy efficient building.” However, Stanley said the board would ultimately have to decide if some upfront costs of energy efficient systems are worth the long-term savings.

As to the extensive use of glass, Kuttner said the design includes stiffeners and glazing that protect against most weather. He also said the roof overhangs are designed to provide protection to much of the glass.

“We’ve come a long way,” Ann Dawson, board vice president, said after the board unanimously approved the building design.

FUNDRAISING
The board also heard from Russ Hodge, with the Dublin, Ohio-based The Hodge Group, about the effort to raise money for museum construction and operations. Hodge, involved in fundraising efforts with the University of Arkansas, Bentonville Public Library and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, was hired by the U.S. Marshal Museum Foundation Board to assist in that board’s fundraising charge.

The search for money will take two paths, according to Hodge — seeking support from regional and state individuals and organizations, and “cultivating national relationships.”

Hodge said 5-7 years is the average length of time to raise funds for projects like the Marshals Museum, and he said not to let concerns with the national economy dim their hopes. He said philanthropic organizations and individuals “will support exciting and dynamic causes” like the Marshals Museum with its national scope.

Hodge and Sanders said the next year will be a “quiet phase” as “intimate discussions” with potential donors becomes the new focus of Marshals Museum staff.

Sanders also reported that it appears unlikely any federal stimulus funds will be available for the museum. Despite the bleak outlook, Sanders said she will “look at national organizations” that might be able to funnel stimulus funds to the museum.